Love Always Remains
by ohsweetstupidity
Summary: Clare thought they could never be torn apart. She was sadly mistaken. "Everytime I see him all calm, cool, and collected, I loose my breath, my heart races out of my chest and I am painfully aware that I am not over him, but he's over me." EClare.
1. Brick By Boring Brick

**Love Always Remains  
**01. Brick By Boring Brick

It was the first day of my junior year. My grip on the strap of my bag tightened as I walked through the doors of Degrassi. The halls were already fairly crowded. Kids were gathered together in groups by the lockers or walking down the hall, chatting about their summer vacations. My upper lip slightly curled in disgust. My summer was the LAST thing I'd like to talk about.

I turned my attention away from those people and focused on getting to my locker. I began heading towards it, determined to get in and out as fast as possible because _his_ locker is right next to mine and I wasn't looking forward to seeing him.

As my locker came into view, a smile stretched across my lips because I spotted Alli. When she saw me, she squealed, threw her arms wide open, and ran to me. I braced for impact. Alli was tiny, but she had the impact of a tackle from a varsity football player.

When we were done hugging, she walked with me over to my locker, "So, how are you?"

I knew she wasn't generally speaking, I knew what she was talking about. She just didn't want to exactly say it because it was still a sensitive topic. I felt a slight tug at my heart as I entered the combination to my lock, "I've been better," I answered, trying not to sound too miserable.

However, Alli couldn't be fooled, "I know you're still hurting a lot," She moved out of the way to prevent being smacked in the face by the door of my locker as I opened it, "But just know that time always kills the pain."

I groaned lightly, "The wait seems like an eternity!" I grabbed a book from my locker and held it in my other hand.

She opened her mouth to reply, closed it as if she had changed her mind about what she was going to say, and then opened it again, "Do you mind seeing him?"

I paused and stared blankly at the inside of my locker. I thought I didn't want to see him, but I felt a part of me wanting to. I wanted to see if he was doing good without me. Part of me hoped he was doing bad, as mean as that sounds. "Honestly, I don't really know," I glanced up at her and noticed she was looking past me.

"Better decide quick," She pointed a newly manicured finger past me.

I quickly turned my head to the direction she was pointing. My eyes widened as I saw Adam coming down the hall along with the source of my misery, Eli. It seemed as though they were too engaged in their conversation to notice me yet.

"Stick around or book it?" Alli asked.

My hand shot up to close my locker. I shut it lightly to avoid getting any attention, "Book it!"

Alli nodded in response. We linked arms and began to walk away. I smiled in relief. That was a close one. Luck was not on my side though, and the smile was wiped off my face when I heard, "Clare!" from behind me.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. I knew that voice belonged to Adam.

I came to a halt, Alli did too. Although I played so many scenarios of this moment in my head countless times, I wasn't ready to face Eli yet. But here I was, about to be face to face with him for the first time in weeks.

I took a deep breath and slowly turned around and there he... wasn't? I blinked a few times. Adam was standing there alone, Eli-less.

Of course. I was foolish to even think he'd want to be near me.

I shoved that thought to the back of my mind and allowed the feeling of relief to wash over me once again. The happiness of seeing my other best friend also set in as I closed the gap between Adam and I by giving him a hug. It had been a while since I last saw him. He and Eli had been hanging out a lot more recently and me being there with them was way out of the question.

"I missed you!" He said as he tightly squeezed me.

"I... Missed... You... Too... Adam!" I replied, struggling to breathe.

He noticed my difficulty and let go immediately, "My bad!"

I chuckled, "No worries."

He smiled for a moment before his face turned serious, "How are you?"

There was that question again. I let out a sigh, "I'm alright." Lie.

Adam seemed skeptical, but went with it nonetheless, "I'm glad you're doing better, even if its only a little."

I nodded in agreement. Before I had been a complete wreck, but now I could at least keep myself composed.

"Well, I gotta go... somewhere..." He began awkwardly, pointing behind him "Let's catch up later?"

I wasn't stupid, I knew 'somewhere' meant wherever Eli was. I forced a small smile on my lips, "Sure."

He smiled back, "Alrighty then, see ya!"

I waved and he turned around and headed towards 'somewhere.' The fake smile that was plastered on my face immediately disappeared. I knew Adam and I wouldn't 'catch up later' like we agreed. He'd be too occupied with his other best friend.

I spun on my heels to face Alli. She gave me a sympathetic look because she knew as well as I did that Adam and I were drifting apart. That was another thought I shoved to the back of my mind as Alli and I linked arms again and began to walk to homeroom.

People stared and the whispers began:

_"I heard she wouldn't give it up so he got bored and left."_

_"I heard he dumped her for Jenna just like K.C. did."_

_"Poor girl."_

_"Yeah, I feel so bad for her."_

I wished I could of just gotten up in their faces and said, "Shut up, you guys don't know anything!" but quite frankly, I don't even know the reason why he did it myself. I was too afraid to ask. I couldn't even bring myself to form the words of the question without my lips quivering and tears ready to spill. But then again, that jerk didn't even have the decency to just tell me.

Anyway, I had no other choice but to ignore the whispers. This was how it was going to be for a while.

People at Degrassi are well known throughout school for specific things, whether it be good or bad. Alli for sexting, Dave for peeing on Bruce's locker, K.C. for being the basketball star, Jenna for being pregnant, and Adam for being transgendered. Me? I'm known throughout Degrassi for being Eli Goldsworthy's ex-girlfriend.

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**A/N: **So, what'd you guys think? Should I continue? This chapter was short, but the others will be longer. Review and let me know what your thoughts :)

Every chapter will have a song that goes with it. For this chapter its Paramore - Brick By Boring Brick.


	2. No Easy Way Out

**Love Always Remains**  
02. No Easy Way Out

I felt a sting as I tore a piece of dead skin off of my thumb with my teeth. A nervous habit I had picked up recently. My heart rate picked up speed and my chest was moving up and down quickly due to my fast pace breathing. I was feeling pretty anxious to say the least.

I stood in front of Ms. Dawes' English class. I was in advanced English again, but this time I was a junior taking an advanced senior class. I knew this was where I was definitely going to see Eli.

Most of the students had already settled into class. I slowly poked my head into the room. I immediately spotted all too familiar dark brown shaggy hair and felt my heart pound even more. I quickly backed away from the classroom like a coward.

And then I thought to myself, "I can't let him do this to me! I'm Clare freakin' Edwards, darn it! I'm in control!" I took a deep breath, held my head up high, and marched into the room.

I wish I could say that the rush of confidence stayed with me, but once I realized that the only seat left was my original seat behind Eli, I felt it all crumble to my feet. As quiet as a mouse, I slid into the seat. I wondered if he even noticed that I was sitting right behind him. Though I highly doubted it, seeing that he was engaged in another conversation with Adam who was sitting beside him. I was a bit hurt that at least Adam hadn't even taken notice of me. Whatever.

I heard the door shut and Ms. Dawes sauntered up to the front of the class, "Welcome to advanced English. For those of you who don't know, My name is Ms. Dawes," She smiled warmly, "Though I see many familiar faces," She looked at me, then Eli, then Adam, and some other students.

She began to talk about class rules and expectations. I already knew all of this from last year so I tuned her out and my attention was brought back to my thumb. There was a short trail of dried blood from where I ripped the skin off earlier. I started peeling the dried blood off with the nail of my other thumb, occasionally peeking up to see what Eli was doing. I assumed he wasn't listening to her either because he was coloring his nail with a black sharpie. Surprise, surprise.

I heard the words "English partners" come out of Ms Dawes' mouth and my head shot up like a dog's does when it hears some kind of noise, now my full attention was focused on her.

"Since the method of having a partner for this class worked out so greatly last year," She gestured towards Eli and I. I sunk into my seat. I couldn't see Eli's reaction. Ms. Dawes continued, "I'm going to do it again." Great.

"Clare and Eli," She paused.

Oh no. Oh dear God no.

"Because you two worked so incredibly well together last year, I'm..." She trailed off when she noticed me. I kept mouthing 'No, no, no,' while lightly shaking my head side to side. I hoped she'd catch the hint that I didn't want to work with him again this year.

"I'm going to assign you two to different partners. Hopefully you can work your magic with other classmates," She offered me a smile and I mouthed a 'Thank you.'

I sent a quick prayer to God to thank him for getting me out of that one.

"Eli, you'll work with Adam," They pounded fists in reply to that, "And Clare, you'll work with..." Her eyes trailed around the room and soon landed on someone, "Ah, Reese."

...What? She can't possibly mean the same Reese that had problems with K.C. last year.

I followed Ms. Dawes' line of vision and spotted him. It was indeed that same Reese. Our gazes locked and he grinned smugly at me. I turned back to the front of the class. I noticed Adam staring at me. I shrugged and gave him a look that said, 'Eh, oh well.'

He grinned and whispered, "That's my little trooper!" Before turning back around.

After Ms. Dawes finished assigning partners, we were told to get with our partner. I had turned around to look for Reese, only to find that he was already sitting in the seat next to me.

"Hey, Clare," There was that smug grin again.

"Hi," I said coldly.

He chuckled, "Jeeze, who pissed in your cornflakes?"

I chose to ignore that and asked him my own question, "How did you even get into this class?"

"Not only do I have beauty," he ran a hand through his hair in a cocky manner, "I also have the brains too," He moved his eyebrows up, then back down.

I rolled my eyes, "Ew."

He simply laughed, "We won't be able to pass this class if you're always so grumpy, what's your deal?"

I shot him a glare, "You're a jerk,"

"Oh yeah?" He turned his body to face me. His grin didn't falter one bit the whole time, "Why's that?"

I gave him an 'Are you stupid?' look, "Obviously because you bully people,"

He let out a laugh, "You mean what happened _two years_ ago with K.C.?" He leaned forward, "If I remember correctly, K.C. screwed you over. Why should it matter what I do to him?"

"And if I remember correctly, what happened between K.C. and I is none of your concern,"—He raised his hands in defeat at that—"And K.C.'s not the only one you've attacked," I stated as a matter of factly.

He nodded, "You got me there, Clare," He then placed his hand on his chest and dramatically said, "But I'm a changed man now!"

"Oh really?" I asked dryly.

His lips stretched into a proud smile and said, "Yeah really."

I looked at him skeptically, "I'll have to see it to believe it."

"Well get ready to believe it 'cause you're gonna be seeing a whole lot of it, _English partner_," His was giving me his trademark grin again.

I was making it quite obvious that I didn't like him, yet he just brushed it off and talked to me like nothing. I didn't get it. But as he sat there grinning at me, I suddenly felt my lips twitch upward to smile. I tried to hold it in but I couldn't. His grin grew wider when I smiled and I averted my eyes away from him.

The bell rang and everyone started gathering their things and leaving to go to their next class. Reese flashed me one last smile before grabbing his bag and leaving.

As I gathered my things, I smiled to myself. I was actually hoping he changed, it would make this year a lot easier. Maybe I could make a new friend too.

XXXX

The smell of rain entered my nostrils the moment I walked out of Degrassi. I looked up at the overcast sky and then down at the wet ground. By the looks of it, it had just finished raining so it was safe to walk home.

I skipped down the front steps, eager to finally leave this place and go home to the comfort of my bed. When I started on the familiar path home, my mind began to wander about today. Eli completely ignored me, it hurt. But maybe it was for the best.

Suddenly as I was walking, I heard a car drive by and a wave of dirty puddle water completely covered me from head to toe. All I could do was gasp. I couldn't see in front of me because my wet bangs covered and stuck to my eyes. This was just my luck.

I heard the car stop and the door open and slam shut. The sound of footsteps were nearing me, "I'm so sorry, I—" The footsteps stopped.

I completely froze. I knew that voice better than anything.

We stayed there in silence. I was afraid to remove my bangs from my eyes and see him standing there, but I probably looked extremely ridiculous so I slowly brushed them to the side, out of my sight.

And there he was. I wasn't imagining this as a scenario in my head, this wasn't just another dream I was having. He was there, standing right in front of me. This was the first time I was face to face with Eli in so long. Our gazes locked, his emerald eyes staring into my sky blue ones.

I couldn't tell what he was feeling, his face was blank. I'm pretty sure he was reading me like a book though. My face was twisted into a look of surprise.

Finally the silence was broken. "I'm sorry about splashing you," His eyes traveled up and down me, observing how soaked I was.

Normally, he would've laughed at a time like this, but his face remained impassive. It bothered me. "Its alright," I grabbed my skirt and squeezed it so that some of the water would come out.

He looked back at his hearse and then back at me. He seemed to be contemplating something.

I felt the awkward level rising between us, "Well, I'm going to get going now, see you... some other time I guess.." I said lamely. I started walking again. He stared at the ground as I walked past him.

"Wait."

I paused in my steps and turned halfway around to face him.

He also turned to face me, "I'll give you a ride."

I shook my head, "You don't have to."

"Clare, look at yourself," He gestured at my wet clothes, "I did this to you so I'm giving you a ride home."

I ignored the way my heart fluttered when he spoke my name, "No," I said, shaking my head once again, water droplets flying off of my hair.

He began taking steps forward. My heart rate sped up as he came closer. It seemed as though he was walking towards me, but he ended up walking right past me and over to Morty. My heart relaxed, but I felt a bit disappointed.

"Clare."

I turned back and he was standing there, holding the car door open, gesturing to it with his free hand.

I hesitated for a moment, but then sauntered over to Morty and got in. Eli shut the door and walked over to the driver's side. He got in, turned the car on, and drove off.

It was dead silent. I brought my thumb up to my mouth to bite off more dead skin. The silence was making me want to go insane. I glanced at Eli from the corner of my eye. He was staring straight ahead, focused on the road. He brought his hand up to a nob on the radio and turned the volume up. The rock music blared through the speakers.

I rested my head on the window, it vibrated against my head from the music.

_"Well somethings are worth fighting for,_  
_Some feelings never die._  
_I'm not asking for another chance,_  
_I just wanna know why."_

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I mumbled. I knew Eli didn't hear me over the music.

Before the song even finished, he shut the radio off. "So how are you?"

_That_ question again. Except this time it was coming from Eli, which kinda made me mad, but I didn't show it. "I'm great," I lied, "How about you?"

His eyes never left the road, "I'm doing good."

We finally pulled up to my house. I began to chew on my bottom lip. I wanted to ask him why he broke up with me. I needed to know. I casted my gaze on him. He was staring at the steering wheel, blank faced again.

I sighed and opened the door, "Well, thanks for the ride," I got out and shut the door behind me.

As I reached my front door, I heard him drive off. I leaned my forehead against the door. My vision started to get blurry with tears. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to cry. I didn't ask Eli why he did it because I was scared. There must have been something I did or just something wrong with me.

My wet clothes still clung to my body and water dripped from my hair as I tried to be strong and hold my tears in.

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**A/N:** I'm not too happy with this chapter, but it should get things moving along now. How'd you guys feel about Eli in this chapter? And what about Reese? :D I wanted to bring him back because he dropped off the face of the planet and I wanted to use someone different. Well review please :) A lot of reviews gives me more motivation to write!

P.S. Thank you for all the reviews from the last chapter! You guys are awesome :)

Chapter song (And song in Eli's car):  
Bullet For My Valentine - No Easy Way Out


	3. Away From Me

03. Away From Me

It had been a few days since Eli drove me home. There was still no talking between us and he was still basically ignoring my existence. It was like we were never a part of each other's lives. Everyday I was just thinking and thinking, trying to figure out what I could have done that was so horrendously wrong to make him act this way. I couldn't think of anything.

"Earth to Clare!"

I was brought out of my thoughts by fingers snapping in my face. I blinked a few times and then stared up at the owner of those fingers, Reese. "Sorry," I mumbled.

He stared back at me with an amused smirk, "Am I boring you?" He asked, waving the essay that he held in his hand up and down.

"No, no," I shook my head, my curls bouncing, "I'm just..." I trailed off as I remembered that this was Reese I was talking to; He didn't need to know my business.

"You're just...?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Tired," I answered quickly, "I'm just tried."

He snorted, placing the essay that I was supposed to be helping him with on the desk, "How dumb do you think I am?"

Now it was my turn to smirk. But as I opened my mouth to reply, Reese interrupted, "Don't answer that." My smirk widened.

He transitioned from his slouching position to sitting up straight, looking more attentive, "What's wrong?"

I pretended to be oblivious, not looking him in the eye, "What are you talking about?"

"You've been out of it lately," He answered.

I scoffed, "How would you know? You barely even know me."

"But I've seen you happy," He countered, "And its not like this."

I raised a recently plucked eyebrow, "When?"

"At the ravine. You were discussing the Russian Revolution with some other people," His smirk came back.

I felt a little bit embarrassed by my lameness, but I retaliated, "Oh yeah, now I remember! You were on your way to sleep with some floozy in that STD infested van!" I said with mock innocence.

His smirk fell for a second and then returned, "Touché,"

I just smiled in satisfaction.

Reese playfully rolled his eyes in response, "Anyway," He said rather loudly, "Back to the previous subject, what's been up?"

I stared blankly at him and pointed up at the ceiling with my index finger.

"Clare!" He tried to be serious, but he let a laugh escape and cracked a smile when he said my name.

I laughed as well, "What?"

"You know that's not what I meant."

I would've answered but the sounds of shuffling and desks and chairs being pushed caught mine and Reese's attention. I looked over my shoulder to find Adam trapped in a headlock by Eli. They both laughed as Adam was unsuccessfully trying to pry Eli arms from around his head.

"Eli, Adam," Ms. Dawes said in a warning tone.

Eli let go of Adam and both boys sat back down in their seats, "Sorry, Ms. Dawes," They both said in unison.

Even though the commotion ended, my gaze still lingered on the boys who I once called my own. Adam, once MY best friend, and Eli, once MY boyfriend. Now, they were no longer mine. It really hurt to think about how much has changed between myself and both of them.

I tore my attention away from Adam and Eli and brought it to my pale hands resting on the desk in front of me. Sunlight poured in from the windows, causing a glare on my purity ring. As I stared down at it, I began to wonder if maybe my abstinence was the reason why Eli left me. I could recall how he even admitted to me that it wasn't his favorite thing.

I felt a pair of eyes on me and I peeked up through my bangs to find Reese observing me, his brown eyes filled with questions.

"What happened with you two?" He nodded his head in Eli's direction.

Reese was actually the first person to ask me up front about the break up. Everyone else preferred to whisper about it behind my back and come up with rumors. Ever since the break up, I dreaded being asked this question. Talking about it made it real and I wished it was anything but.

Despite those negative emotions, I kept my poker face on, "We broke up, obviously."

"I know that, but why?"

I looked back down at my hands. I don't know how long I stayed quiet for, but Reese waited patiently, never taking his eyes off of me. "I don't know," I said lowly to cover up the pain that was evident in my voice.

I looked back up at Reese. His face was scrunched up in confusion. I knew what he was thinking, so I answered before he asked, "He broke up with me and didn't tell me why."

Reese's eyebrows furrowed, "That's a dick move."

I slightly flinched at his vulgar language. He noticed and said, "I'm sorry, but that's the best way to put it."

"I guess," I mumbled.

"So that's why you've been down," He concluded, his eyes slightly softening.

I rested my chin in my hand and propped my elbow on the desk. I didn't have anything to say.

An awkward silence hung in the air between us. I was betting that Reese was feeling pity for me, exactly what I didn't want.

"Listen," He began, bringing my attention back to him, "A bunch of us are getting together tonight just to hangout, you should come."

I shrugged, "Uhh.. The ravine isn't really my scene."

"It'll get your mind off things," He added.

"I'll think about it," I said with uncertainty.

He took the forgotten essay that was laying on the desk, ripped a piece off, took his pen, and scribbled something on it, "Here," He said as he finished writing. He handed me the piece of paper.

I examined it as I grabbed it from him. It was his phone number.

"Let me know your answer," He said with a smile.

I smiled back. He was being surprisingly nice, "Will do."

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Ms. Dawes began to shout over the noisy shuffling students about the homework assignment for tonight.

Reese stood from his seat and swung his bag over his shoulder, "Talk to you later, Clare," And with that, he was out the door.

I grabbed my bag and was on my way out when a voice stopped me.

"Ms. Edwards."

I turned around to find Ms. Dawes standing a few feet away from me, "Yes, Ms. Dawes?" I asked politely.

"How is the partnership with Reese going?" She asked curiously, "It seems like you two are hitting it off."

I smiled, "Yes, Reese has been a surprisingly good partner _so far_,"

She caught my emphasis on my last two words and chuckled, "Well I hope it stays this way,"

I nodded in agreement. Ms. Dawes and I chatted for a few more minutes before I finally left.

The halls were empty. Everyone had already left to their after school activities or had already gone home. As I walked to my locker, I pulled out my phone and send Alli a quick text. We were supposed to go visit Jenna and the baby today but I was running a little late so I texted her to let her know I'd meet her there.

I turned the corner into the hall that my locker was located in. I stopped dead in my tracks.

Eli was at his locker. He wasn't alone though. He was with a girl.

This girl was extremely thin, light skinned, and her hair was the same color as Eli's and ended at a few inches past her shoulders.

Eli must've made some type of amusing comment because she let out a giggle and playfully pushed him. Eli laughed in response.

I narrowed my eyes at the two. What the heck was going on?

My question was quickly answered when Eli bent his head down and planted a kiss on her lips.

I felt my heart sink and my eyes widen. This couldn't be real, could it? I kept telling myself I'd wake up any minute from this nightmare, but nothing happened. I even pinched myself on the arm, but of course, nothing was different. They were still standing a couple feet away from me, engaged in their flirty conversation.

I began to feel sick to my stomach from this. I slowly took a few steps backwards, back around the corner, and then I completely took off to the nearest girls' washroom.

I pushed the door open, ran in, and dropped to my knees. I felt the coldness from the tiles press against my skin. Tears began to cascade down my cheeks. The nausea from earlier returned so I crawled on my hands and knees into a stall and leaned over the toilet. My hands trembled as I tucked my hair behind my ears.

My heart literally hurt as I replayed the kiss over and over again in my head. How could I have been so blind? Of course he'd want to be with someone else instead of me. That girl was probably much more outgoing, prettier, and smarter than me and not a prude at all.

I remained leaning over the toilet, crying my heart out for what seemed like an eternity. The nausea had finally gone away and I managed to stop crying. I picked myself up and trudged over to the sink. I kept my eyes down as I turned the faucet on and washed my hands. I was afraid to look up in the mirror and see how terrible I looked. After splashing some water on my face, I took a deep breath and told myself that I had to keep it together.

I exited the bathroom and headed towards my locker. Thankfully, Eli and his... _New_ girl were no longer there. I grabbed what I needed from my locker and left Degrassi to go to Jenna's.

XXXX

"You saw him do _what_?"

Both Alli and Jenna had looks of shock on their faces.

"Please don't make me repeat myself," I begged. It hurt enough the first time telling them about what I saw in the hall today.

Alli crossed her arms across her chest, "I'm gonna kill him, I swear!"

Jenna gently placed her baby, Madison Guthrie, in her rocker, walked over to her bed and sat beside Alli, "How could he move on so easily?"

I shrugged, "Maybe he broke up with me because he started liking her."

Alli continued to ramble on about killing Eli, "I'm gonna rip out his intestines, place them on a fan, turn the fan on, and watch them splatter all over the place!"

Jenna and I exchanged glances and then gave Alli strange looks.

"Anyway," Jenna began, "What are you gonna do?"

I groaned and threw myself back into the multiple pillows on Jenna's bed, "I have no idea," I covered my face with my hands.

What could I do? Eli wasn't mine anymore. I had no say in this. What I felt didn't matter any longer.

Jenna sighed, "Oh Clare bear, you look miserable," She said sympathetically.

"Jee, thanks, Jenna," I said sarcastically.

She brushed off my sarcasm, "You should do something to get your mind off things," She suggested.

I removed my hands from my face as a memory came floating back to my mind, "Reese invited me to the ravine tonight."

Alli finally stopped her ramble about the various ways she was going to kill Eli and squealed as she ran over to my side. She grabbed my arms and pulled me up to a sitting position, "Tell me all about it!" She plopped down next to me on the bed.

"We were in English class and I told him about the break up. He invited me and said it would 'get my mind off things.'" I gestured with air quotes.

Alli's lips stretched into a Cheshire Cat like grin. That usually was a sign that she had something up her sleeve, "So you're going, right?"

"Do you not know me at all?" I asked, "Its not my kinda thing."

"Maybe trying something different is just what you need!" Jenna said cheerfully. Alli nodded in agreement.

Clearly they didn't remember what trying something different did to me last time. Eli was the complete opposite of me but I still tried it out. Now look where its left me.

"Come on, Clare, its not like you have to drink or do anything crazy, just go and try to have some much needed fun," Alli said

I began to think it through. it started not to seem like such a bad idea. Plus, I would feel kinda bad for not going after Reese invited me. I mean, if it wasn't going so good, I could just leave. At least I would show up. But there's no way I'm going alone.

"Fine, but I don't want to go alone," I said eyeing them.

Alli's face lit up, "I'll gladly go!"

"I would but..." Jenna gestured towards the baby with a look of disappointment on her face. I gave her a sympathetic look in response.

We stayed at Jenna's for a little longer before we left to my house to get ready. Because it was only the ravine, we didn't get too dressed up. When we were ready, I pulled out my phone and texted Reese.

_Hey, I decided to take your invitation :) Mind if I bring a friend?_

Within a few seconds he replied.

_Good choice. I don't mind if you do, the more the merrier. See you there, partner._

I rolled my eyes as I imagined a smirk on Reese's face.

Finally, Alli and I left and headed to the ravine.

* * *

**A/N:** I kinda rushed the ending because I didn't want to take too long to update. I hope it didn't suck too much. Anyway, thanks for all the lovely reviews :) They made me so happy! Leave one for this chapter and tell me what you think! :)

Chapter song:  
Puddle of Mud - Away From Me


	4. Dance Floor Anthem

04. Dance Floor Anthem

We just arrived at the ravine and I was already feeling uneasy. There weren't as many people as I thought there would be, but there were many empty bottles and cans of alcohol scattered around. There was a bonfire in the center with a couple of people sitting around it. Everyone else was standing around in groups or sitting somewhere else. My nose wrinkled up at the stench of marijuana hanging in the air. I was not used to this.

I glanced over at Alli worriedly. She gave me a reassuring smile and said, "Don't worry, just try to have fun."

I tore my gaze away from her as some random guy walked past me along with a girl who he had his arm around. I watched him lead her over to that dirty van. They got in and I saw the grin on his face as he slid the door shut. What a pig.

Seeing that made me remember how two years ago, Reese was no different from that boy by taking a girl into that van. But he said he changed, right?

Speaking of Reese, I spotted him heading towards me, wearing his famous smirk. I couldn't help but think of Eli when looking at Reese's smirk, but I ignored it.

"Well look what the wind blew in," Reese said as he reached Alli and I, "Hey Clare, Alli," He greeted.

I rolled my eyes at him, but there was a smile on my face, "Hey Reese," I said in unison with Alli.

"I hope you don't mind, Alli," He began as he threw his arm around my shoulders. I slightly stiffened at his touch, "But I'll take it from here," He said as he looked back at Alli, waiting for her reply.

She grinned and her eyes shifted from me to Reese. She had that look in her eyes. You know that look she gets when she thinks of a 'great' plan but then everything just ends up blowing up in her face? Yeah, _that_ look.

"I don't mind at all, Reese," Alli said almost too sweetly. She then shot me a look that said 'You better give me ALL the details later!'

There wouldn't be much to tell her. Me and Reese are just two friends hanging out. Alli's always coming up with wacky ideas. However, I still nodded my head to her.

She smiled in satisfaction and then Reese lead me away, further into the ravine.

We stopped at a picnic table. I sat down with my legs under the table, placing my hands on top of it in front of me and Reese sat on top of the table, resting his feet on the bench I was sitting on. There were a many red plastic cups scattered around on the table. Reese peeked into a few of the cups and finally picked one up. He handed it to me and I immediately shook my head, "I don't drink."

"I know that, that's why this is just a cup of coke and not alcohol," He stated as a matter of factly as he slightly tipped the cup without spilling it so I could see the content inside of it. I saw the blackish brown liquid bubbling in the cup. I hesitantly took the cup from Reese and brought it closer to my face to sniff it.

Reese let out a laugh, "Relax, Clare, there's nothing wrong with it!"

"You don't know if someone could've spiked it!" I said defensively. After what happened to Darcy, I wasn't going to be so careless with this kind of stuff.

He chuckled, "No one in this place is sick enough to do that, trust me."

"I don't," I said as I placed the cup back on the table and pushed it away from me.

Something in his chocolate brown eyes flickered, "Still?"

"Yup," I simply said.

He grabbed back the cup he handed me, "I'll prove it to you," He said before chugging down the drink.

I raised my eyebrow, "How does that prove anything?"

"If there really was anything wrong with that drink, I'm taking that risk just to show you that you can trust me. I'm positive there's nothing wrong with it though," He flashed a confident smile at me.

I smiled back. I know it may not seem like anything big, but it was the thought of his action that counted. It was kinda cute too.

We sat in a silence for a few moments when suddenly we heard loud moaning coming from further off in the woods.

"Didn't have the decency to wait their turn for the van," Reese shook his head and then faced me. When his eyes landed on my face, he let out a laugh, "Jeeze, Clare, you look really uncomfortable like you just shit your pants or something."

I felt my face heat up from embarrassment, "I'm just not used to this kinda environment," I said sheepishly.

Reese hopped off of the table and onto his feet, "Come on, I'm gonna introduce you to some people," He nodded back towards the group of people by the bonfire, "It'll make you feel more comfortable."

"Ok," I said hesitantly as I slid my legs from out under the table.

He waited until I reached his side to start walking towards the group. He was being really nice and I really appreciated it.

As we walked, Reese's pace slowed down before he finally came to a halt. He place his hand on his head and his face twisted in discomfort.

"What's wrong?" I asked concerned.

"I-I don't know, I feel.." He shook his head and removed his hand from it, "Fine. I'm fine."

I gave him a worried look, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah," He waved his hand nonchalantly, "I'm good," He began walking again, his legs wobbled with each step he took.

I quickly went to his side and grabbed his arm just before he lost his balance and collapsed.

"You're not 'good,' Reese," I said, leading him back to the picnic table we previously sat at.

Reese replied, "I think y-you were right about the drink," and then he collapsed onto the ground.

My heart stopped as realization hit me. I began to feel guilty. The only reason why this was happening to him was to prove a damn point to me.

I dropped to my knees beside him. I flipped him onto his back and began shaking him to see if I could get some kind of response, "Reese!" I repeatedly called his name without receiving any reply. I started lightly smacking his face, but still nothing.

I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as they began to water a little. If I hadn't been so cold to him and just given him a second chance, he wouldn't have taken the stupid drink. I felt horrible.

I pulled my phone out to call 911, but just as I pulled it out, a hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me. My eyes trailed from the hand, up the arm, and stopped at the face. A mixture of anger and relief washed over me as _that_ grin stared back at me.

"Gotcha," Reese's grin stretched from ear to ear.

My face twisted from being jaw dropped in shock to glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead right now.

He sat up and began to laugh as he pointed his index finger at me, "You should've seen your face!" He said in between laughs.

I couldn't believe he would play such a mean trick on me! But even though I wanted to rip him to shreds for doing that to me, my lips twitched upward into a smile. I punched him on the shoulder playfully, "That was so mean, you jerk!" I began to laugh along with him.

When our laughter died down, we got up and brushed ourselves off. We started heading towards the crowd again.

When we reached the group of people, I spotted Alli chatting with the other girls that were there. I felt relieved because now I wouldn't be awkwardly there by myself.

Alli noticed me and began patting the seat next to her, signaling me to sit. I plopped down next to her.

"We're gonna have quite the conversation later, missy," Alli whispered quickly to me with a grin.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh jeeze."

"Hey, everyone," Reese called. When everyone's attention was on him, he began, "I'd like to introduce everyone to my new friend," He gestured towards me, "Clare."

I smiled shyly as everyone's eyes landed on me. They all wore smiles on their faces which made me feel better.

XXXX

An hour or two had passed and I was surprisingly having a good time. Alli and I had befriended a few of the girls there. We all took a bunch of pictures together and shared a lot of laughs.

And then suddenly, just as one of the girls was telling us a funny story, everyone went completely silent. Me and Alli exchanged glances that asked 'what's going on?'

I turned to my other side where Reese sat. When I opened my mouth to question what was happening, he brought his index finger to his lips and very lowly said, "Shh!" He then pointed to his ear, signaling me to listen. I did as he told me to. At first, the only sound I could hear was the crackling from the bonfire, but then I finally picked up the sound of police sirens. They seemed to be getting closer and closer.

And then everyone shot up out of their seats and dashed into different directions. Alli and I were dumbfounded so we stayed sitting down, watching everyone scatter.

"Shit!" Reese jumped up to his feet and faced us, "We need to go now!"

I looked up at him with a puzzled look, "Why? What's going—"

"_Now_!" Reese grabbed my arm and pulled me up. Alli followed and stood up too.

The sirens sounded closer. "Come on, we have to run," Reese said as his hand slid down from my upper arm to my wrist, "Don't slow down no matter what," He gave us one last firm look before he began to run, leading me, and Alli following.

"Reese, what the heck is going on?" Alli demanded between breaths.

"Look back, but don't slow your pace," he replied.

Alli and I turned our heads to look behind us. Cops had invaded the ravine, chasing down the remaining teens, even tackling some down. The scene kept getting further and further away as we ran. I wanted to get as far away as possible so my adrenaline took over. I faced forward again and began to run so much faster that for a moment I even started leading Reese instead of the other way around before he picked up his pace, taking the lead once again. I checked to see if Alli was keeping up. Her adrenaline must've been high too because she was right beside us.

I heard Reese mumble another, "Shit!" under his breath. I almost swore out loud as well. Coming up ahead was a huge amount of thorn bushes. We reached them within seconds and I braced myself. Thorns penetrated my clothes and pricked my skin, some got stuck on my clothes and clung onto me. I wrenched myself away from them, also using my free hand to yank them off which caused cuts all over my palms. And just my luck, I happened to run face first into a taller and longer thorn branch. As I ran through it, a thorn dragged across my cheek, leaving behind a long cut before I swiped it away with my hand.

As we finally got passed the thorn bushes, I began to finally notice the pain of my legs with each step I took. I looked down and noticed how torn up my cavs had gotten from the thorns. My skinny jeans were ripped in various places, I could feel the cool breeze from running on my open cuts. I ignored the pain though. I had to keep running. I didn't want to risk getting caught and explaining to my parents that I had been arrested and they needed to come get me. I would never see the light of day again.

Finally after a long time of running, we began to slow down as we approached a row of houses, entering their backyards. We swiftly and quietly made our way through their backyards and through the front, to the street.

As we were walking Reese paused, stopping me along with him. Alli noticed this, grinned, and kept walking ahead.

Reese's gaze locked with mine, "I'm so sorry, Clare," He held a sincere look in his eyes, "I never should've brought you to a place like that, you could've gotten in so much trouble. It was stupid of me." He wiped the blood away that was dripping from the cut on my cheek.

Normally, I would've been terrified to have been in a situation like that, but strangely it was actually.. _exciting_. I smiled warmly at Reese. It seemed like he had really changed, he was actually caring and sincere. "Its ok, Reese," I chuckled lightly, "I actually had fun."

He became surprised, "Really?"

"Yes, really," I chuckled again.

"Sweet! So that's an 'ok' to hanging out again?" He asked eagerly.

"Hmmm.." I pretended to be thinking, bringing my index finger to my lip.

"Clare!" Reese wined, playfully and lightly pushing my shoulder.

I let out a laugh, "I suppose you're worthy of my company again," I teased.

He wiped imaginary sweat off of his forehead, "I was worried you'd say no," He joked.

We both laughed and soon were on our way to catching up with Alli.

XXXX

When I finally got home, my dad wasn't anywhere to be found (it was his week to stay with me). He probably went to another bar or something. Either way, I was relieved because he surely would have had a heart attack that I came home this late.

I walked into my room and shut the door behind me. Slipping out of my shoes felt so good. As I changed my clothes I examined the wounds I received from the thorns, they weren't too bad. When I was fully dressed, I crawled into bed and went under the covers.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard my phone vibrating. I groggily swung my hand over to my night stand and searched for my phone. I grabbed it and pressed a random button to turn the screen on. It was a text message from... What the heck?

I rubbed the sleepyness from my eyes to make sure I wasn't just seeing things. I stared at the screen and the name of the sender stared back at me tauntingly. Eli.

I took a deep breath and opened the message.

_Fun night, huh?_

My face was scrunched up in confusion, but I replied.

_What exactly do you mean?_

I tapped my fingers on my upper arm, impatiently waiting for his reply. My phone vibrated again and I quickly snatched it and opened the message.

_Don't play dumb, Clare. Its not you. Well, then again, I'm not quite sure anymore. Partying with those good for nothings at the ravine, running from the cops, hanging out with that neanderthal Reese... You're changing and making stupid decisions. Think about what you're doing._

I read that text over and over again, taking time to register everything he said. I can't believe he had the audacity to put his two sense into my life after everything he put me through! My anger increased my texting speed by a large amount and when I was done typing, I hit send.

_Excuse me? What makes you think that after all the pain you caused me, You can stick your nose into my business? Since when have you cared? Shouldn't you be too busy with your new girlfriend to be concerned with what's going on in my life?_

I waited and waited for most of the night, but a reply never came from Eli. I honestly felt disappointed. I wanted him to write back, I wanted him to care about what was going on with me. But he didn't care enough to keep going.

My eyes began to feel like they weighed hundreds and hundreds of pounds, so I shut them and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N**: I'm not too happy with this chapter :/ I rushed because it had been a long time since I last updated. So who's shitting bricks for EClare after watching Drop the World Pt. 1? I sure as hell am! My heart is going to shatter into a million pieces if she breaks up with him! Lol. I'd have to say my favorite part of that episode was when K.C. yells, "YOU TOLD ME TO PLAY BASKETBALL!" haha. But anyways, please review and tell me your thoughts :) The next chapter might possibly be in Eli's POV.

P.S. I got a twitter! :) I haven't done much with it yet though lol but follow me anyway! :D  
My twitter is: michellezirpolo

Chapter song:  
Good Charlotte - Dance Floor Anthem


	5. All These Things I Hate

05. All These Things I Hate

**Eli's POV  
**  
I stared into big, innocent sky-blue eyes, but they didn't stare back at me. My eyes trailed down to soft, pink lips that were stretching into a smile that revealed pearly white, perfectly straight teeth. Her angelic features radiated happiness.

It made me sick.

I felt like that because her happiness was directed at someone. Someone who wasn't me. Her eyes were locked on some guy with messy dark brown hair that I had seen around school a few times with Fitz. I was also aware of the tension between him and Clare's ex, K.C.

Oh yeah, I remember his name now. Reese.

It was obvious that whoever took the picture that I was intensely examining, caught the two off guard. Reese seemed to be in the middle of saying something while Clare pointed her index finger at him, her simple smile about to turn into laughter.

My stomach began to turn and I quickly clicked 'next' on the internet page. I clicked it again and again and again. Every picture I saw made me feel worse. She was always sitting next to him, seeming like she was having a good time. I scrolled down and read the comments on the pictures. Some girls were talking about how the cops came and everyone ran. I went back to my newsfeed and some people had posted the information on their statuses. I couldn't believe Clare would hang out with those people and engage in their juvenile activities. It all made my blood boil.

I signed out of Facebook and slammed my laptop shut, causing my room to go pitch black. I spun around in my chair, facing away from the desk. I hunched over, propping my elbows up on my knees and holding my head in my hands. My heart began to beat quickly as worrisome thoughts raced through my head. Was Clare changing? Did she have feelings for that kid? Did he feel the same? Was he going to take her away from me? Does she even care about me anymore? I was feeling angry, anxious, hurt, and depressed.

I shoved my hand in my pocket and pulled out my phone. I searched for Clare's number on my phone and when I found it, my fingers trembled with nervousness as they dashed across the keyboard. I read the text over a couple times to make sure there were no grammatical mistakes and that I said all I wanted to say. I finally hit send and tossed my phone onto my bed.

I stared off in thought into the darkness of my room. I became jittery as I started shaking my leg up and down. What I said to Clare might have been a little harsh, but she needed someone to put some sense back into her brain. Her 'great' friend Alli surely wouldn't. I was only doing her good, right?

My phone vibrated loudly, jolting me out of my thoughts. I snatched my phone from my bed and opened up Clare's reply. My heart stopped when I read the last part of her text.

_Shouldn't you be too busy with your new girlfriend to be concerned with what's going on in my life?_

Oh shit. Clare found out about _her_. I mean, I always knew she was going to find out. I just didn't think it'd be so quickly. I also didn't think of what to do when she did find out.

I was at a loss of words. I didn't know what to say to Clare. She was right. I chose to move on, therefore I didn't have the right to give my opinion. Not to mention, I broke her heart.

It killed me.

But it was my choice and I was with someone else now, so that's what I needed to focus on.

...Right?

My phone vibrated again in my hand and I read the name. Katherine.

_You stopped replying to my messages earlier, why? Well, I'm going to sleep. Goodnight babe :)_

I stared at my phone for a moment and then pressed the end button. I sighed as I ran my free hand through my hair. I didn't know what to do anymore. Well I knew what I _had_ to do. Whether I wanted to do it or not was what I was unsure of. I had to continue my relationship with Katherine. But... did I want to?

I quickly shook my head. Of course I did. She made me happy. But Clare...

All of this was making my head spin and just wanted to stop thinking. I wanted to just sleep and escape from reality so I tossed my phone first onto my bed and then threw myself next to it. As soon as my head hit the pillow, my eyes grew heavy and I soon fell asleep.

XXXX

The next day at school, Adam and I sat on the floor in the hallway with our backs against the lockers. It was early in the morning, so the hallway was empty except for a few kids floating around. Adam's nose was buried in a newly released comic book, while my copy laid neglected on my lap. Normally, I would gladly read a new comic book, but now the only thing I could do was stare off into space and think about last night.

Adam peeked over at me from his comic book. He raised and eyebrow as he noticed I wasn't really being me. He closed his comic book and placed it beside him on the floor, "What happened?"

I guess I didn't hear him at first because he snapped his fingers a couple of times in front of my face, bringing my attention to him, "Huh?" I asked dumbly.

Adam asked, "What's up with you? You're out of it today," I could hear the concern in his voice.

I knew it was useless to beat around the bush with Adam. He would constantly press me to tell him what was wrong. And lying would be pointless as well. He knows me well enough to know when somethings wrong. I resented that sometimes. I mean, sometimes I just would rather keep to myself about my problems. However, I knew Adam only meant well.

I took a deep breath before saying, "I talked to Clare last night." I kept my eyes on the poster covered wall across from where we were sitting.

Adam's lips stretched into a big smile, "Really? How'd it go?" He asked eagerly.

My eyes drifted down to my hands in my lap. I was trying to avoid seeing the look of disappointment on Adam's face when I told him what happened. "Not so good."

"What happened?" His eager tone had completely disappeared. I had tried to avoid seeing his disappointment with my eyes, but I could still _hear_ it through his voice.

I told him what happened. From me seeing the pictures, to what I said to her through text and what her reply was.

"Well I'm not surprised. She _is_ right, you know," he said almost gently as if not to upset me.

"I know, I know," I said almost miserably as I leaned my head back against the locker, "I just wish things could be the way they were before, every things such a mess now."

Adam remained silent for a moment as if trying to choose his words carefully. "Things wouldn't be such a mess if you never-"

"_Shut up_!" I snapped, glaring intensely at Adam. My voice echoed throughout the empty hallway.

I couldn't let him finish that sentence. I knew what he was going to say. The words would've stung my heart too badly. I cringed at just the thought of them.

Adam had flinched when I snapped at him. I felt bad, he must have not seen this coming. Shit, _I_ didn't even see this coming. I didn't know what came over me, but I just didn't want to hear what he was going to say. My guilt snapped me out of my momentary anger and I was about to speak, but Adam beat me to it.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I didn't think-"

"Adam," I put my hand up with my palm facing him, signaling him to stop, "_I'm_ sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you, you didn't know."

Adam eyed me skeptically before cracking a smile, "I thought you were going to rip me apart, I almost shit my pants!" Adam let out a laugh.

I forced a light laugh, "I'm sorry!" I repeated. My best friend was slightly afraid of me. Nice.

"Its ok, dude," He stuck out his fist and I immediately pounded mine against his.

"But anyway," Adam started as he adjusted the beanie on his head, "You should apologize to Clare."

I sighed, "I know she deserves one, but I don't know if she'd listen to me."

Adam shurgged in uncertainty,"You don't know 'til you try, right?"

I casted my eyes back down to my hands and began twisting one of the skull rings on my fingers. "I guess." The tone of my voice was the opposite of my words: Hopeless.

"Well, hey," Adam sounded more positive, "You know Clare as well as I do. You know she's an understanding person and even though you guys are broken up, she still cares about you." He placed a hand on my shoulder causing me to look at him, "She'll listen." He said confidently.

I wish I felt as confident as he did about that. However, whether I was or not, I was going to apologize to Clare. I owed it to her. It was the least I could do for hurting her so much.

I didn't get the chance to reply to Adam because he lifted his hand from my shoulder to wave at someone behind me. I turned my head to the direction he was waving at and smiled.

Katherine waved happily at Adam and her face brightened up even more when she realized she caught my attention. Her dark brown hair flowed behind her as she bounced over to us.

Adam and I both got to our feet. When she reached us, Adam was the first to give her a hug. Most people would find that weird and suspicious, but Adam only did it because he knew mine and Katherine's hello would be longer than his.

After their hug, Katherine walked over to me with a big smile and we embraced each other into a hug. She pulled away from me and looked up at me, still wearing that smile. I looked down at her with a smirk. I closed the distance between us by planting a kiss on her lip gloss covered lips. I pulled away and quickly rubbed my lips with the back of my hand to remove the lip gloss on my lips, which Katherine giggled at.

I was happy on the outside, but on the inside I couldn't help but think about how I felt nothing when I kissed Katherine. When I kissed Clare, I felt this warm feeling that coursed throughout my body. I know that sounded cheesy and cliché, but it was true and it was an amazing feeling that I hadn't even felt with Julia.

I saw Adam fake gag at us. I rolled my eyes and reached around Katherine to lightly wack him. He was able to dodge me, but I just let it go and brought my attention back to Katherine.

"You're looking lovely today," I smirked as I brushed her side bangs out of her eye.

"I look like this everyday," She pointed her index finger at herself, the black nail polish chipping from her nail.

"Which is exactly why I tell you that you look nice everyday," I said smoothly.

She playfully rolled her eyes, "Good one."

Before I could reply, Adam cleared his throat loudly. Katherine and I turned our attention to him.

Adam looked slightly annoyed, "Can we head to breakfast now?" He pointed down the hall towards the cafeteria.

I chuckled, "Yeah, yeah." I wrapped my arm around Katherine's shoulders as we all began to walk to the cafeteria.

The entrance of Degrassi was coming up and through the transparent windows I spotted a head of brown curls. I immediately knew it was Clare. She entered the building, oblivious to the fact that I was heading her direction. She turned and began walking towards us with her eyes casted down at the ground.

I held my breath, hoping she would walk by without noticing. I didn't want to face her now; I didn't have enough time to think through what I wanted to say to her.

As she came closer to us, her beautiful blue eyes traveled up and we locked gazes. Her eyes slightly widened in surprise and her lips slightly parted. Without even thinking, I quickly removed my arm from Katherine's shoulders receiving a questioning look from her.

Clare averted her eyes away from me and quickened her pace. When she walked by me, I felt a strong urge to just reach out and stop her from walking away. I wanted to tell her that I was so sorry for everything and that she deserved so much better than all of this. And that I wished her nothing but the best in whatever she wanted to do.

I shoved those feelings away and brought my attention back to Katherine. I could see with my peripheral vision that she was still giving me a questioning look with her arms crossed across her chest. I finally made myself look at her and she stopped walking. I stopped shortly after with Adam following.

Adam looked back and forth between Katherine and I, "Uhh.. I'm gonna go over... there.." He said awkwardly pointing in the direction of the Cafeteria.

We didn't pay much attention to him so he got the point and left.

Katherine's eyebrows knitted together, "So, mind telling me what that was all about?"

I raised my eyebrow, "What?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Right when you saw Clare, you took your arm off of me."

It was my turn to narrow my eyes, "What are you trying to say?"

"You obviously don't want her to see you with me!"

I stared at her in disbelief, "Are you kidding me?"

She remained silent as her chocolate brown eyes that were lined with black eye liner glared at me accusingly.

I shook my head, "Katherine, you're being ridiculously paranoid."

Her head quickly jerked back as if she was taken aback by what I said. She looked ready to go off when I interrupted, "I'm with _you_, not her. I'm over everything that happened. You're the one I want to be with, I'm done with Clare. _I'm_ the one who ended things between us."

The anger disappeared from her face and she dropped her gaze to the floor. It seemed as though so was going through an internal battle about me. A few strands of hair slipped from behind her ear, covering her face. I moved closer to her and tucked them back behind her ear, slid my hand down and cupped her cheek, "Do you believe me?" I asked so softly, it was almost a whisper.

She kept her eyes to the floor, but I could tell she was going to give in. A small smile stretched across her lips as she lifted her eyes to look at me, "Ok, I believe you."

I pulled her towards me and wrapped my arms around her. As I rested my chin on top of her head, my eyes spotted Clare again from a distance, rummaging through her locker.

Unexpectedly, Clare turned her head towards me. She stared directly at me and when I clearly saw the crestfallen look on her face, my heart literally hurt.

Of course I didn't mean it when I told Katherine all those things; I still love Clare. I just didn't want Katherine to know because I didn't want to lose her. I didn't want to be all alone again. I needed Katherine. I needed to get over Clare. It was for the sake of both of us.

* * *

**A/N:** It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry :/ But I'm here now :D What'd you guys think of this chapter? My writing wasn't at it's best -.- I kept getting stuck in some places. I hope you guys were able to sense the conflict Eli was going through. For the record, I am NOT changing Reese and Katherine to Jake and Imogen. I'm not sure how this is all going to go with the actual Degrassi storyline. Anyways, I would like to thank all of you for reviewing and what not. I appreciate it soooo much! Please review for this chapter and tell me your thoughts :)

P.S. You guys should follow me on twitter :) I need to see more Degrassi and other interesting stuff on my TL instead of people I know in real life talking about weed and sex -.- I'll always follow back. You can find my twitter on my profile.

P.S.S. I made a tumblr just for my account on here. I'll be posting updates, maybe sneak peeks of upcoming chapters, and, of course, Degrassi stuff! You can also ask questions and what not :) The link is on my profile.

Chapter Song:  
Bullet for My Valentine - All These Things I Hate


End file.
